New Orleans Pelicans

Player News - Pelicans

Nikola Mirotic came off the bench on Wednesday for 16 points on 7-of-17 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks and two 3-pointers.

Mirotic was initially reported as a starter tonight, but at the last second Emeka Okafor took his spot. New Orleans will vary the lineup based on matchups, according to coach Alvin Gentry, but Mirotic's minutes and touches should be safe regardless -- he logged 30 minutes tonight. He's a solid 'hold' and should only get better as he builds chemistry with his new team.

Emeka Okafor started on Wednesday and had eight rebounds and two blocks in 20 minutes of action, adding three points on 1-of-4 FGs and 1-of-2 FTs.

Alvin Gentry said before the game that he'll tweak his lineups based upon matchups -- some nights Okafor will start, while other nights it will be Nikola Mirotic. Okafor's minutes aren't likely to exceed 20 per game in a best-case scenario, which eliminates any potential fantasy appeal.

DeAndre Liggins (hip) scored three points with four assists in 14 minutes of action on Wednesday.

Liggins exited late during Monday's game with a hip injury but it was never a real concern. His recent experiment as a starter lasted all of one game, and he's persona non grata in fantasy leagues while Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo are active -- he benefited a bit from Rondo being ejected early tonight, but it was Ian Clark who started the second half.

Ian Clark started the third quarter for Rajon Rondo (ejected), posting five points and two assists in 24 minutes.

New Orleans' offense was humming tonight despite Rondo's early exit, finishing with a season-high 79 points in the first half alone. Clark hasn't offered much beyond sporadic scoring even when he earns more minutes, so he's off the radar in typical leagues.

Anthony Davis erupted for 42 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, three steals, two blocks and two 3-pointers on Wednesday, making 15-of-18 FGs and 10-of-11 FTs.

Davis exited briefly with a right groin injury, but it obviously didn't impact him as he led New Orleans to a franchise-record 139 points in a home win vs. the Lakers. He's good for an injury scare almost every night, but he's only missed six games this season (one since Dec. 11). New Orleans is playing him 38.4 minutes per game over the past month, so he'll surely welcome some rest during the All-Star break. We'll let you know if the Pelicans provide more updates about his injury status, but presumably he'll be fine for the All-Star game.

Darius Miller hit 6-of-8 shots with four 3-pointers en route to 19 points on Wednesday, adding four assists and three rebounds in 31 minutes.

Pelicans tied their franchise record with 139 points tonight, powered by a huge game from Anthony Davis (42 points) and a big lift from the second unit. New Orleans ranks 29th in bench scoring, ahead of only the Wolves, but games like this could become more common if Nikola Mirotic is deployed as a reserve. When he's not torching the Lakers defense, though, Miller is just a fringe 3-point specialist.

He was dragged away by a ref and a team security person after a heated exchange with Isaiah Thomas. These were Rondo's first two techs of the season and he likely won't see a suspension for this infraction. We'll see more E'Twaun Moore, Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins with Rondo out.

Anthony Davis (right groin) went to the locker room in the first quarter on Wednesday, but he has since returned to the bench.

He took on some contact and it looked like he may have suffered a right hip issue. Davis walked slowly off the court under his own power, but he went straight back to the locker room. We'll have an update shortly, Cheick Diallo replaced him. It's good news that he was called questionable to return, but he may sit this out one the rest of the way.

Coach Alvin Gentry said he'll be playing the matchups on the fifth starter, but either way Mirotic will be getting minutes. He scored 21 points off the bench on Monday and 21 in the starting lineup on Saturday. He should be owned in all leagues.

Nikola Mirotic will take the reins as a starter and this is going to be a matchup-dependent situation going forward. Okafor isn't worth deploying even when starting, though, so it hardly matters where he begins games.

The Pelicans will sign Emeka Okafor to a second 10-day contract, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times.

Okafor started at center for the Pelicans on Monday and finished with eight points, seven rebounds and a block in 14 minutes. Okafor earning a spot in the New Orleans rotation after taking three years off is a great story, but his fantasy value is minimal due to his limited minutes. He can be left on waivers.

E'Twaun Moore played just 14 minutes and missed all seven of his shots, failing to score in Monday's win over the Pistons.

Moore had 12 points in 44 minutes on Saturday, but has taken a hit with the arrival of Nikola Mirotic and has scored four or fewer points in three of his last five games. Dump him for a hot free agent if you can.

Nikola Mirotic came off the bench and hit 7-of-16 shots and four 3-pointers for 21 points, 12 rebounds and a steal in 29 minutes.

He came off the bench behind Emeka Okafor, who started at center to try to help Anthony Davis with Andre Drummond, but still came up big with his second straight dub-dub, and third in his last five games. Starting or coming off the bench really doesn't matter for Mirotic, and he's averaging 15.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 1.2 blocks and 2.2 3-pointers over his last five games.